The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has launched a social media campaign, #ItTakesATeam, to help raise awareness of medicine shortages.
The aim of the campaign is to explain how medicine shortages are managed in the EU, share each stakeholder’s role in the process, and highlight the importance of collaboration and shared efforts to help tackle shortages. The EMA defines a medicine shortage as ‘when the supply of a medicine cannot meet the demand at national level.’ Shortages can be low-level and are a common and recurring issue, with 76% of shortages involving antimicrobials in 2024. During emergency situations, medicine shortages can become a major issue, such as when patients who need the medicines most might be unable to access them.
This campaign was developed jointly with the European Consumer Organisation, the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists, European Association of Nuclear Medicine, and others. The EMA has also collaborated with European healthcare professional and consumer organisations to help educate the public and improve awareness.
More information about the campaign is available on the EMA’s website.
Another recent campaign led by the EMA is the #HealthNotHype campaign that was covered in our previous industry news update.
